I need an education on RR ties. What grades and size (standard gauge) are usually available, how much do they weigh? What is the typical cost? I am going to need to buy some new ties in Arkansas soon and I just don't know a lot about it yet.

My rule of thumb is that a 7" x 9" x 8'6" industrial grade tie is running about $50.00 each. I have never weighed a tie, but I can pick one up so I'm thinking 75 to 80 lbs. Some are incredibly heavy, others are rather light in weight.

For wood ties, there are two basic types: industrial and railroad grade. Industrial grade generally do not meet railroad spec due to size, checking, wood species, etc.

Sizes vary. Industrial or railroad secondary lines are 8" x 6" (wide x high). 8' long are generally industrial. 8'-6" can be either industrial or railroad. 9" x 7" are generally railroad spec and 9' long.

The type of tie you want is based upon its use. Just for a storage track, determine how many you need and what you can afford. For light loading, even industrial ties have a life of about 30 years in the Pine Bluff area, unless they go through many cycles of standing water and then dry.

Industrial grade ties are generally about 125 pounds, railroad mainline grade 150+ range, when new. This also varies a bit by species, and how well treated they are.

In the Pine Bluff area, you have Koppers in North Little Rock and Thompson in Dardanelle. Both generally have industrial ties available, rejects from their railroad contracts. There are also several contractors who can sell from their stores, but they'll add some profit to the sales but can handle the transportation.

The cost of a tie varies greatly across the country. With local wood and treatment in Arkansas, they tend to be on the lower end for industrial ties, generally $40-60 if you pick up and based upon how many you buy (cheaper by the bundle).

Please see attachment. It's letterheaded from Progress Rail, but note that it is not copyrighted - I doubt they'd mind redistribution.

CD

pretty great info so far. how many ties is generally in a bundle?

Are the industrial ties creosote treated?

The railroad I work for bought ties with 20 per bundle. Not sure if that is standard or not...

Industrial grade ties are generally the same size and weight as other standard size ties: 6" X 8", 7" X 9" and 8' 6" long. What makes them IG ties is a manufacturing (cut too short, too narrow, etc) treatment (insufficient penetration of creosote) or structure anomaly (knots, split ends, longitudinal separations) which does not meet FRA Class 1 railroad specifications for a main line tie. IGs can still be used in yards or side tracks and sidings.

I purchase IGs locally by the hundred for less than 1/3 of the cost of main line ties. That varies by manufacturer. It all depends upon how much space they are consuming in the yard and how badly the manufacturer wants to get rid of them.

I worked for too many short lines who used Industial Grade ties for a main track although at 10 MPH or less. I really was used to seeing quality ties, used when re-habbing track and was disappointed to see IG ties being inserted by the contractor when he convinced the owner "they would be just fine" for his operation. It didn't take long for them to disintegrate and the "preservation treatment" (creosote?) was so lite that it often washed off after the first rain storm. It was enough to make a grown man cry spending money to buy ties that didn't last.

I suppose for lite, lite duty like static displays they might work but I would go for good ties and ballast.

exprail

This publication illustrates the different types of defects:
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service - Producing and Inspecting Railroad Crossties

it would be more helpful if you just described what your project is, so the many knowledgable people on this board could better coach you on how to implement it. You are buying ties for something. Is it a static display, a 10MPH operation with a hand-car, a 49MPH operation with a diesel locomotive?

I've recently purchased over a thousand ties for a major project at an electric railway museum in the Northeast. We used Stella-Jones. 6"x8"x8'6" creosote-treated RR grade ties, fully end-plated, mixed hardwoods, about $45 per tie including delivery, when ordered in full truckloads of about 240-250 such ties. They weigh 150-170 lbs per tie depending on wood species.

Here are the basics about ties:

Railroad ties are generally made from oak and mixed hardwoods.

They can range in weight from 150 lbs to 200 lbs.

You can order them from your vendor generally bundled to your requirements. Generally 16, 20 or 25 ties per bundle are most common.

The three common tie sizes are:
1. 6"x8" Grade 3 ties
2. 7" Industrial Grade - these are the Grade 4 and Grade 5 ties that do not pass inspection for use as Grad 4s and 5s on a percentage basis so when you order IGs you are getting some number of Grade 4 or 5 ties already
3. 7"x8" Grade 4 ties
4. 7"x9" Grade 5 ties

The Class I carriers generally use all Grade 5 ties on mainlines. You can also order an 80/20 mix of Grade 4 and 5 ties.

There is a 6" Industrial Grade tie but I would never recommend those unless you are really desperate and short on cash for something better.

Anti splitting devices - End plates are most common. You can order your ties selectively end plated (the mill decides which ties are most likely to split and will apply end plates to those ties based on their experience) or like the Class I or government agencies order them 100% or fully endplated.

If you are ordering 7"IGs or larger, they come 200 per truckload. If you order 6"x8" Grade 3 ties, they will come 240 per truckload.

Standard treatment of wood ties is 7lbs of creosote per Cubic Foot of wood. Ties should be incised for better penetration of the wood during the treating process.

For more information than this, I would recommend you consult the AWPA or American Wood Preservers Association guidelines and current AREMA standards (Chapter 6 as I recall).

Another handy conversion if you're ordering 7"x9" switch timbers is to remember that there are 5.25 Board Feet per Linear Foot of 7"x9" tie or timber.

Hope this helps.

Rob Gardner

We purchased 50 'industrial grade' ties from Koppers in North Little Rock. Was a fairly easy purchase really. Price was about 45 per tie with tax. Oak. I am pretty happy with how they looked, you could tell the defect that knocked them down to IG ties in many of them but it was minor in most cases, end splits (they plated many of them), some had saw cuts on them, some had knots and missing wood, but I am willing to bet most of them will resist rot and last just as long as a mainline tie in our application.

They said to expect them to weigh 240-250 per tie. I think they were pretty close.